Computers addict dies after games marathon

A South Korean man died of exhaustion in an internet café after playing computer games non-stop for 49 hours, police said today.

Lee, 28, who lived in the southern city of Taegu, who was identified only by his last name, collapsed on Friday after having eaten minimally and not sleeping.

He refused to leave his keyboard while he played the battle simulation game Starcraft.

Lee was quickly moved to a hospital but died after a few hours, due to what doctors are presuming was a heart attack, police said.

He had been sacked from his job last month because he kept missing work to play computer games, police said.

Computer games are enormously popular in South Korea, home to professional gamers who earn big money through sponsorships and television stations devoted to broadcasting matches.